SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – Miami-Dade County Public Schools\u2019 newest superintendent got a crash course in his first week on the job as he faced one of the district\u2019s biggest challenges but also got the chance to highlight one of its latest investments.<\/p>\n
Rafael Villalobos appeared at Booker T. Washington Senior High School in Northwest Miami-Dade to present the school with a $100,000 check toward its SpaceHUB program.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is always great to be back home at Booker T. Washington Senior High School,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The superintendent joined state and district leaders at the event to support the school\u2019s program. SpaceHUB is a STEM and workforce development program designed to prepare students for careers in technology.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis new frontier, this SpaceHUB frontier. It\u2019s here!\u201d said Villalobos.<\/p>\n
While students and staff at Booker T. Washington are celebrating the investment boost, the talk across town is the superintendent\u2019s decision to pause the process of examining potential closures and consolidations for over two dozen schools.<\/p>\n
Last month, the district\u2019s Attendance Boundary Committee released a document highlighting 12 schools that are being \u201creassessed\u201d and 15 that are \u201cunder review.\u201d<\/p>\n
But on Wednesday, Villalobos sent a district-wide letter to parents announcing he was stopping that process to examine the issue properly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are here for every child, and we wanna make sure that every child receives what they deserve,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re looking at under-enrolled schools, so utilization. So if you are below 50%, that\u2019s one of the markers. When you look at factors that are creating programmatic impact to students, so if students don\u2019t have a [physical education], art, [or] music teacher every day. There are programmatic impacts that we want to make sure students receive: that quality education that Miami-Dade offers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Antonio White, president of the United Teachers of Dade, called the superintendent\u2019s decision to pause the process hopeful, saying it allows the district to make improvements.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis also gives us an opportunity to redo some of our older facilities. We have very old facilities here that we haven\u2019t been able to take care of properly for many, many years, so we can consolidate our resources, we can provide more things to the children,\u201d said White.<\/p>\n
Thursday, family members of students at Kendale Lakes Elementary, a school on the reassessment list, said they were worried about the possible changes but also saw an opportunity for improvement.<\/p>\n
\u201cI agree. One hundred percent, I agree. I feel like maybe bringing a little bit more into the school can bring more kids in,\u201d said Caydi Andino, sister of a student.<\/p>\n
The list of schools being reassessed and under review is below:<\/p>\n
ReassessedBrentwood ElementaryCarol City MiddleGolden Glades ElementaryLake Stevens ElementaryMyrtle Grove ElementaryLorah Park ElementaryPaul L. Dunbar K-8 CenterCenter for International Education (CIE)Greenglade ElementaryHammocks MiddleKendale Lakes ElementaryVillage Green Elementary
Under reviewNatural Bridge ElementaryNorth County K-8 CenterNorth Dade MiddleEmerson ElementaryLillie C Evans K-8 CenterLudlam ElementaryKelsey L. Pharr ElementaryOrchard Villa ElementaryGloria Floyd ElementaryLamar Louise Curry MiddleMarjory Stoneman Douglas ElementaryOlympia HeightsRiviera Middle Tropical ElementarySouth Miami Heights Elementary<\/p>\n
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